Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEvidenceUsesRisksIf It’s RecommendedOther Options
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Evidence
Uses
Risks
If It’s Recommended
Other Options
Aspirin is not a recommended medication for lowering blood pressure.There is no credible evidence that aspirin lowers your blood pressure. Aspirin carries side effects and risks of bleeding, so it is no longer generally recommended for preventing heart disease.High blood pressureis a risk factor for heart disease. For years, a low dose of daily aspirin was considered a way to prevent atherosclerotic heart disease, in which plaque builds up in the arteries. This can lead to blood clots and blockages, which can produce a heart attack or stroke.Aspirin reduces the blood’s clotting ability.However, the 2019 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for preventing heart disease say aspirin has shown a lack of benefit compared to risk, and its use in preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease should be infrequent.This article discusses what you should know about taking aspirin to lower blood pressure, including the risks and alternatives.Thomas J Peterson / Photographer’s Choice / Getty ImagesIs There Evidence to Support Taking Aspirin to Lower Blood Pressure?Research looking at the link between aspirin and high blood pressure is limited and controversial. For example, one small study suggested that aspirin may affect blood pressure in some cases and when it’s taken at certain times of the day.This study has not been reproduced.Reasons for Taking a Daily AspirinDaily low-dose aspirin is not a recommended blood pressure control medication for anyone to use.Organizations, including the AHAand the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),advise that people do not start taking aspirin without talking to their healthcare provider first.However, there are cases in which a healthcare provider might recommend a daily low dose of aspirin. One case is in pregnancy for people at high risk forpreeclampsia.This is a condition of high blood pressure in pregnancy. Consult a healthcare provider for the appropriate timing and dosage.The 2019 AHA/ACC heart disease prevention guidelines say daily low-dose aspirin may be considered in selected people aged 40 to 70 who have a high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) but do not have an increased risk of bleeding.It should not be given to people over age 70 or anyone at increased risk of bleeding.The AHA/ACC guidelines state that daily aspirin use can actually be dangerous.Because aspirin thins your blood, taking it makes you more likely to experience internal bleeding.Aspirin Side Effects and RisksAspirin can have some side effects, such as:HeartburnNauseaStomach acheVomitingFor most people, these effects are mild. However, aspirin also poses a serious risk of bleeding in the stomach, small intestines, and the brain. Other potential risks of taking aspirin include:Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or hearing loss (often when taking large daily doses of aspirin)Allergy or intolerance to aspirinIf you have severe side effects while taking aspirin (e.g., wheezing, rash, vomiting blood, black stools) or any symptoms are not getting better, tell your provider right away.Understanding a Salicylate AllergyIf Your Healthcare Provider Recommends AspirinIf your provider tells you to start taking daily low-dose aspirin, you must take it exactly how they tell you to. Taking the wrong dose or using aspirin the wrong way can increase your risk for side effects or complications.Before you start taking aspirin, talk to your provider about:If and how much alcohol you can drinkWhat medications or supplements you should avoid: For example, taking another NSAID like Advil (ibuprofen) along with aspirin increases your risk for bleeding.If you are undergoing a surgical procedure, whether (and when) you should stop your aspirinSymptoms to watch out for and what to do if they occur (e.g.,black or bloody stools)Lowering Your Blood Pressure Without AspirinThere are other ways that you can lower your blood pressure without taking aspirin. Your provider will focus your care on lifestyle modifications and/or choosing one or more medications that have been proven effective and safe for treating hypertension.Lifestyle changes that can help lower blood pressure include:Restricting salt in your dietLosing weight, if you have overweight or obesityExercising at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the weekFinding ways to relax and relieve stress, like meditation or deep breathingLimiting alcohol consumptionQuitting smokingMedications that your healthcare provider may recommend include:Thiazide diureticsCalcium channel blockersAngiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitorsAngiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)Beta-blockersSummaryAspirin on its own does not lower blood pressure. Aspirin is not recommended to treat high blood pressure. Taking aspirin carries risks, especially for bleeding. You should only take aspirin after talking to a healthcare provider.There are many other ways to lower your blood pressure without aspirin, such as making lifestyle changes and taking medications that are meant to treat high blood pressure.
Aspirin is not a recommended medication for lowering blood pressure.There is no credible evidence that aspirin lowers your blood pressure. Aspirin carries side effects and risks of bleeding, so it is no longer generally recommended for preventing heart disease.
High blood pressureis a risk factor for heart disease. For years, a low dose of daily aspirin was considered a way to prevent atherosclerotic heart disease, in which plaque builds up in the arteries. This can lead to blood clots and blockages, which can produce a heart attack or stroke.Aspirin reduces the blood’s clotting ability.
However, the 2019 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for preventing heart disease say aspirin has shown a lack of benefit compared to risk, and its use in preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease should be infrequent.
This article discusses what you should know about taking aspirin to lower blood pressure, including the risks and alternatives.
Thomas J Peterson / Photographer’s Choice / Getty Images
Is There Evidence to Support Taking Aspirin to Lower Blood Pressure?
Research looking at the link between aspirin and high blood pressure is limited and controversial. For example, one small study suggested that aspirin may affect blood pressure in some cases and when it’s taken at certain times of the day.This study has not been reproduced.
Reasons for Taking a Daily Aspirin
Daily low-dose aspirin is not a recommended blood pressure control medication for anyone to use.Organizations, including the AHAand the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),advise that people do not start taking aspirin without talking to their healthcare provider first.
However, there are cases in which a healthcare provider might recommend a daily low dose of aspirin. One case is in pregnancy for people at high risk forpreeclampsia.This is a condition of high blood pressure in pregnancy. Consult a healthcare provider for the appropriate timing and dosage.
The 2019 AHA/ACC heart disease prevention guidelines say daily low-dose aspirin may be considered in selected people aged 40 to 70 who have a high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) but do not have an increased risk of bleeding.It should not be given to people over age 70 or anyone at increased risk of bleeding.
The AHA/ACC guidelines state that daily aspirin use can actually be dangerous.Because aspirin thins your blood, taking it makes you more likely to experience internal bleeding.
Aspirin Side Effects and Risks
Aspirin can have some side effects, such as:
For most people, these effects are mild. However, aspirin also poses a serious risk of bleeding in the stomach, small intestines, and the brain. Other potential risks of taking aspirin include:
If you have severe side effects while taking aspirin (e.g., wheezing, rash, vomiting blood, black stools) or any symptoms are not getting better, tell your provider right away.
Understanding a Salicylate Allergy
If Your Healthcare Provider Recommends Aspirin
If your provider tells you to start taking daily low-dose aspirin, you must take it exactly how they tell you to. Taking the wrong dose or using aspirin the wrong way can increase your risk for side effects or complications.
Before you start taking aspirin, talk to your provider about:
Lowering Your Blood Pressure Without Aspirin
There are other ways that you can lower your blood pressure without taking aspirin. Your provider will focus your care on lifestyle modifications and/or choosing one or more medications that have been proven effective and safe for treating hypertension.
Lifestyle changes that can help lower blood pressure include:
Medications that your healthcare provider may recommend include:
Summary
Aspirin on its own does not lower blood pressure. Aspirin is not recommended to treat high blood pressure. Taking aspirin carries risks, especially for bleeding. You should only take aspirin after talking to a healthcare provider.
There are many other ways to lower your blood pressure without aspirin, such as making lifestyle changes and taking medications that are meant to treat high blood pressure.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines.Circulation.2018;138(17):e426-e483. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000597Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2019;140(11). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is atherosclerosis?Costa AC, Reina-Couto M, Albino-Teixeira A, Sousa T.Aspirin and blood pressure: effects when used alone or in combination with antihypertensive drugs.Rev Port Cardiol.2017;36(7-8):551-567. doi:10.1016/j.repc.2017.05.008American Heart Association.Avoid daily aspirin unless your doctor prescribes it, new guidelines advise.Food and Drug Administration.Aspirin for reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke: know the facts.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Aspirin use to prevent preeclampsia and related morbidity and mortality: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.MedlinePlus.Aspirin.Sheppard A, Hayes SH, Chen GD, Ralli M, Salvi R.Review of salicylate-induced hearing loss, neurotoxicity, tinnitus and neuropathophysiology.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2014;34(2):79–93.Makowska J, Lewandowska-Polak A, Kowalski ML.Hypersensitivity to aspirin and other NSAIDs: Diagnostic approach in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep.2015;15(8):47. doi:10.1007/s11882-015-0552-yPlümer L, Seiffert M, Punke MA, et al.Aspirin before elective surgery—stop or continue?Dtsch Arztebl Int.2017;114(27-28):473–480. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0473
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines.Circulation.2018;138(17):e426-e483. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000597Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2019;140(11). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is atherosclerosis?Costa AC, Reina-Couto M, Albino-Teixeira A, Sousa T.Aspirin and blood pressure: effects when used alone or in combination with antihypertensive drugs.Rev Port Cardiol.2017;36(7-8):551-567. doi:10.1016/j.repc.2017.05.008American Heart Association.Avoid daily aspirin unless your doctor prescribes it, new guidelines advise.Food and Drug Administration.Aspirin for reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke: know the facts.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Aspirin use to prevent preeclampsia and related morbidity and mortality: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.MedlinePlus.Aspirin.Sheppard A, Hayes SH, Chen GD, Ralli M, Salvi R.Review of salicylate-induced hearing loss, neurotoxicity, tinnitus and neuropathophysiology.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2014;34(2):79–93.Makowska J, Lewandowska-Polak A, Kowalski ML.Hypersensitivity to aspirin and other NSAIDs: Diagnostic approach in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep.2015;15(8):47. doi:10.1007/s11882-015-0552-yPlümer L, Seiffert M, Punke MA, et al.Aspirin before elective surgery—stop or continue?Dtsch Arztebl Int.2017;114(27-28):473–480. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0473
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines.Circulation.2018;138(17):e426-e483. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000597Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2019;140(11). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is atherosclerosis?Costa AC, Reina-Couto M, Albino-Teixeira A, Sousa T.Aspirin and blood pressure: effects when used alone or in combination with antihypertensive drugs.Rev Port Cardiol.2017;36(7-8):551-567. doi:10.1016/j.repc.2017.05.008American Heart Association.Avoid daily aspirin unless your doctor prescribes it, new guidelines advise.Food and Drug Administration.Aspirin for reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke: know the facts.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Aspirin use to prevent preeclampsia and related morbidity and mortality: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.MedlinePlus.Aspirin.Sheppard A, Hayes SH, Chen GD, Ralli M, Salvi R.Review of salicylate-induced hearing loss, neurotoxicity, tinnitus and neuropathophysiology.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2014;34(2):79–93.Makowska J, Lewandowska-Polak A, Kowalski ML.Hypersensitivity to aspirin and other NSAIDs: Diagnostic approach in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep.2015;15(8):47. doi:10.1007/s11882-015-0552-yPlümer L, Seiffert M, Punke MA, et al.Aspirin before elective surgery—stop or continue?Dtsch Arztebl Int.2017;114(27-28):473–480. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0473
Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on clinical practice guidelines.Circulation.2018;138(17):e426-e483. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000597
Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2019;140(11). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is atherosclerosis?
Costa AC, Reina-Couto M, Albino-Teixeira A, Sousa T.Aspirin and blood pressure: effects when used alone or in combination with antihypertensive drugs.Rev Port Cardiol.2017;36(7-8):551-567. doi:10.1016/j.repc.2017.05.008
American Heart Association.Avoid daily aspirin unless your doctor prescribes it, new guidelines advise.
Food and Drug Administration.Aspirin for reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke: know the facts.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Aspirin use to prevent preeclampsia and related morbidity and mortality: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.
MedlinePlus.Aspirin.
Sheppard A, Hayes SH, Chen GD, Ralli M, Salvi R.Review of salicylate-induced hearing loss, neurotoxicity, tinnitus and neuropathophysiology.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2014;34(2):79–93.
Makowska J, Lewandowska-Polak A, Kowalski ML.Hypersensitivity to aspirin and other NSAIDs: Diagnostic approach in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep.2015;15(8):47. doi:10.1007/s11882-015-0552-y
Plümer L, Seiffert M, Punke MA, et al.Aspirin before elective surgery—stop or continue?Dtsch Arztebl Int.2017;114(27-28):473–480. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0473
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